What does it feel like to be sedated at the dentist?

Click hereIf you’re anxious about going to the dentist, then dental sedation may be the perfect option for you. But if you have never experienced it, you might be wondering: “what does it feel to be sedated at the dentist?”
 
To help put you more at ease, here’s what you need to know about “sleep dentistry” and how it feels to prepare you for your next appointment better. 
 
What is Sleep Dentistry?

Sleep dentistry, also known as Conscious sedation, is a procedure in which the dentist uses a sedative to help you relax during a dental appointment. Your dentist may use oral, gas, or IV sedatives that reduce pain sensitivity and anxiety. This results in a pleasant dental visit, regardless of any past anxiety or fear around the procedure. 
 
Types of Conscious Sedation There are three different types of conscious sedation, including:

• Minimal Sedation: you feel calm while staying conscious and responsive to your dentist. 
• Moderate Sedation: you’re responsive, but you may feel sleepy and less aware. 
• Deep Sedation: you’re mostly asleep and unresponsive but can wake up with some effort. 

It is important to note that anesthesia is unconscious sedation and requires an intricate use of medications supervised by licensed anesthetics. 
 
What does dental sedation feel like?
The goal of dental sedation is to put patients at ease. So, patients often feel calm, relaxed, and somewhat muzzy during dental sedation. The pain sensitivity and anxiety of the dental procedure fade away. Yes, the extent of this feeling depends on the type of sedation, quantity needed, and even the patients themselves.
 
Once the sedative takes effect, negative emotions, stress, and fear may also gradually disappear. You may feel a tingling sensation in your arms and legs. This may be accompanied by sluggishness that makes it difficult to move your limbs.
 
You may also find the world slowing down around you. You may respond slowly to the conversation. You may even smile or laugh for no apparent reason because of the nitrous oxide gas (laughing gas) used in dental sedatives.
 
Pain Prevention
Conscious sedation’s goal is to calm you. Although it has some pain reduction benefits, your dentist may use local anesthetics to eliminate pain during lengthy dental procedures, such as dental implants. 
 
Common side effects Some common side effects of dental sedation may last for a few hours after the procedure, including:

• Feeling of sluggishness
• Slow reflexes
• Drowsiness
• Loss of memory of moments during the procedure
• Low blood pressure
• Headache
• Feeling sick

Conclusion: We recommend you to have someone drive you home and stay with you until the dental sedative wears off. Don’t worry, as it can take 24 hours for the medication to leave your body. In fact, very few patients experience side effects.
 
Dental sedatives may even encourage you to go to important dental appointments that you’d put off due to nervousness or fear about the procedure. This often results in improved overall health throughout your life.

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